Multi-Step Word Problems — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A toy shop has 6 boxes of 4 cars. They receive 16 more cars. The shop has 40 cars now.
Multiply first: 6 × 4 = 24 cars. Then add 16 more: 24 + 16 = 40 cars.
2. Maria scores 35 points in round one and 28 in round two. She loses 15 points for penalties. Her score is 48.
Add rounds: 35 + 28 = 63 points. Then subtract penalties: 63 - 15 = 48 points.
3. A baker makes 7 trays of 5 cookies. She packs them equally into 5 bags. Each bag has 7 cookies.
Multiply first: 7 × 5 = 35 cookies. Then divide into 5 bags: 35 ÷ 5 = 7 cookies per bag.
4. A class has 50 pencils. After giving away 18, the rest are shared equally among 4 groups. Each group gets 8 pencils.
Subtract first: 50 - 18 = 32 pencils left. Then divide: 32 ÷ 4 = 8 pencils per group.
5. Tyler has 9 packs of 3 erasers. He gives 12 erasers to friends. He has 15 erasers left.
Multiply first: 9 × 3 = 27 erasers. Then subtract 12: 27 - 12 = 15 erasers left.
6. A store sells 24 apples in the morning and 36 in the afternoon. They pack 10 apples per bag, filling 6 bags.
Add first: 24 + 36 = 60 apples. Then divide by 10 per bag: 60 ÷ 10 = 6 bags.
7. There are 8 rows of 6 desks in a hall. After removing 20 desks, 28 desks remain.
Multiply first: 8 × 6 = 48 desks. Then subtract 20 removed: 48 - 20 = 28 desks.
8. Nadia reads 45 pages on Monday and 15 on Tuesday. She has 22 pages left. The book has 60 pages she has read.
Add pages read on both days: 45 + 15 = 60 pages. The 22 pages left is not needed to find the total read.
9. A farm has 5 rows of 10 corn plants. The farmer plants 25 more. The farm has 75 corn plants total.
Multiply first: 5 × 10 = 50 plants. Then add 25 new ones: 50 + 25 = 75 corn plants.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
3 bags of 8 apples, then eat 4
→ 20
28
25 + 15, then split into 5 groups
→ 8
34
10 × 4 packs, then lose 12
→ 28
8
6 × 9 stickers, give away 20
→ 34
20
Work each problem in two steps: 3×8=24 then 24-4=20; 25+15=40 then 40÷5=8; 10×4=40 then 40-12=28; 6×9=54 then 54-20=34. Follow the order of operations in each scenario.